Wale Davis and Akinola Davis Jr. Take Home BAFTA for Their Debut Film “My Father’s Shadow”

Wale Davis Jr. and Akinola Davis Jr. have won the Outstanding British Debut by a Writer, Director or Producer at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. for their feature film, My Father’s Shadow. The brothers received the award at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 22 February 2026.

The award recognises new filmmaking talent in British cinema. Akinola was the director while Wale co-wrote the screenplay. Although both have worked on creative projects before, this is their first featured-length film as a director.

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During his BAFTA acceptance speech, Akinola Davies Jr. said:

“To the economic migrant, the conflict migrant, those under occupation, dictatorship, persecution and those experiencing genocide, you matter and your stories matter more than ever. Your dreams are an act of resistance. To those watching at home, archive your loved ones, archive your stories yesterday, today and forever.”

Wale Davies dedicated the award to their late father, whose influence shaped their creative paths.

My Father’s Shadow is set in Lagos during Nigeria’s 1993 presidential election.The film explores family bonds, and the complexity of fatherhood.

The production was filmed on location in Lagos and in Ibadan. The language choice of the movie was English, Yoruba, and Pidgin, capturing the speech setting of urban areas in Nigeria.

Before its BAFTA success, the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or. This award honours first feature films. Its selection is good for Nigerian storytelling on an international platform.

Fans gave positive comments about the movie. One of them Andrew Parker said:

Photo: Instagram

“Davies captures the time period perfectly, and My Father’s Shadow balances expressionistic flourishes with the raw human emotion that goes hand in hand with being raised by a distant, difficult to understand parent.”

Stephen Porzio said:

“While Nigeria is so integral to My Father’s Shadow, this is a movie with a universal appeal.”

The film later became the United Kingdom’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. The project also earned nominations and recognition from the British Independent Film Awards and the Gotham Awards.